


Luck Only Lends - Bonus material!

by catastrotaffy



Category: Fallout - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-10-13 11:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17487341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catastrotaffy/pseuds/catastrotaffy
Summary: I ended up cutting a lot of stuff out of the main story, which would otherwise lie around gathering dust for the rest of its days. This is all that stuff.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The is probably my favourite interaction in the entire story but I ended up cutting it out because I didn't want to spoil Soren's appearance. 
> 
> RedEye is incredibly, painfully stupid and I love him.

“So you’re the flavour of the month.”

Soren sank into a chair facing the bound man he had been delivered fresh from Nuka World. He looked him over carefully. 

“Man, what the fuck? What do you want? Why am I here?”

Soren shushed his captive with a sharp hiss and a raised hand. He smiled in a deceptively kind way at the radio host. 

“You are I are going to spend some time together so let’s not start off on the wrong foot with you being a brat, Red.”

“Alright, who put you up to this?” RedEye glanced around, expecting Mason or one of the Black siblings to step out from the shadows. He tentatively grinned but Soren did not grin back.

“No one but me. You see Red Eye—” he pronounced it as if it were two words, “I’ve been listening to your radio show-”

“Are you a fan?”

“Ugh...no, not really. We have different tastes in most things, although I believe we do have one thing in common.”

“What’s that?”

“Bloodmouth.”

Soren let his words hang in the air, his eyes trained on RedEye’s face to see his reaction. He was pleased to see suspicion and caution. 

“Nah, I don’t know who that is.”

“Oh cut the shit. Every time you lie -and judging by the shit you spew across the airwaves, that’s often- I’m going to do something horrible to you. So let’s try this again, do you or do you not know the man who calls himself Bloodmouth?”

“N-”

Soren sharply stood up. He kicked his chair back and stalked over. In a flash of movement he drew out a knife which he jabbed down, lightning fast between his captive’s thighs, the blade brushing fabric and solidly embedding into the wood of the chair.

RedEye stared down, his breathing rapid and frenetic as he tried to shuffle away from the knife.

“Believe me you little fuck, next time I will not miss, so this is your last chance. Bloodmouth? Yes or no?”

“Yes!” RedEye wailed. “Yeah I know him! What does it matter?”

Soren laughed and pulled his knife away, pocketing it for later. He dragged his chair back over, brought it close and sat back down.

“Good! Now we’re getting somewhere. No more lying, right?”

RedEye nodded.

“While we're at it, let’s stop with this Bloodmouth bullshit. You and I both know we’re talking about Mr Brian Sinclair.”

“Who are you?” RedEye asked, nerves clear in his voice. 

“My name is Soren White.”

RedEye simply stared in silence. There was no way...surely it couldn’t be? Soren -  _ the _ Soren? It couldn’t be the same man, but he was a ghoul so why couldn’t it be? RedEye exhaled, suddenly he felt slightly more at ease. Despite how things were looking he had heard Brian tell so many stories about Soren and if this was the same man, he was basically an angel.

“I think you know me. Just judging by your face.” Soren laughed lightly. He leaned back, lacing his fingers and looking amiable.

“I’ve heard of you.”

“Mmm. Yet all I know of you is that you host a radio show and you’re my replacement. I’d ask you what you see in him but I’ve been asking myself that for over two hundred years. Do you have an answer because I can’t figure it out.”

“Uh…”

“Great, neither can you!” Soren interrupted with a laugh. He settled comfortably: if he was going to keep his bait here and awake then his bait was going to listen to him. 

“When I first met him,” Soren began, “he was rich. Richer than you can imagine but that’s not it, I mean I’m hardly that shallow.”

“That sounds pretty appealing though.”

“So-so. I had my own money so it’s not like I was begging on the streets. I think the persistence wore me down and I gave in to him.”

“Hey, me too!” RedEye, despite his current situation laughed as if they were old friends having a chat. A chat where one of them was tied up.

“That so? Huh.” Soren lightly chuckled although the laughter did not quite reach his eyes. 

“Yeah man, yeah. Next thing I know, there we are high as fuck in his shitty little house and I’m all, there’s no way I’m gonna fuck this guy. I guess the chems were on his side though. After that he just never went away.” RedEye paused his rambling for a beat, suddenly remembering who he was talking to. “Uh, not that I want him to.”

“How romantic of him to take advantage of you.”

“Nah, it ain’t like that. I’m the one in charge.”

Soren snorted. “I’m not talking about whatever stupid dynamic you have in the bedroom. I’ve heard you lie and pretend like you’re not all emotionally fucked up because someone-” Soren grinned and leaned forward, “raided your heart?”

“Fuck you that song ain’t about m-”

RedEye was silenced in a second as Soren’s fingers reached for his knife. 

“You play that song every day and it’s blatantly obvious to even the stupidest listener that it’s about you. You think Brian doesn’t know that? You’re a bad, bad liar, Mr Eye, so remember what will happen if you lie to me.”

RedEye swallowed hard, his eyes trained on the blade Soren held. 

“I don’t get it, I really don’t,” Soren mused. “You. Of all people, why you? You’re a fucking idiot. I hope my sources are right, because if I was in Brian’s shoes right now I’d be cutting my losses and moving on.”

RedEye bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Soren shrugged. “I needed a way to lure him out here and you’re my bait. You think he’ll come for you?”

“I don’t need him to rescue me!” RedEye protested. “I mean sure you think you got me right now but-”

RedEye’s words were silenced and whatever else he may have said was replaced by a shriek of pain. His instinct had been to screw up his eyes but when he opened them a thin gash cut through the leather of his trousers, blood pooling where his flesh was visible. He rose his eyes to stare at Soren; how fast could this wretched ghoul move? Rattled, RedEye gritted his teeth and breathed heavily through his nose.

“That, I think, counted as a lie.”

“You fucking cut me!”

“I  _ did  _ warn you.” Soren looked exasperated. “Don’t worry though, you’re not going to die from that; it’s practically a papercut.”

Calmly, Soren began wiping the blood from his blade, his eyes fixed on the metal.

“Please understand that no, you’re not going to escape. Even if you somehow manage to get free you’ll be caught in seconds. You think we’re alone here? Outside this room are all the people who work for me and they’re all armed. Now they have instructions not to kill you but I said nothing about hurting you. Have you ever been burned?” Soren rose his head and his mouth curled into a thin, cruel smile. “Hurts like hell.”

RedEye muttered after a pause, “Why didn’t you just kidnap Brian? Why me?”

Soren leaned back. He tucked his knife away and took a moment to consider the question. 

“I don’t think you would even rescue him if the tables were turned, would you? But that’s none of my business-”

Anger briefly flashed in Soren’s eyes at the apparent lack of loyalty. Even after all this time he felt that Brian deserved better than someone so selfish and cowardly. Did RedEye even care, deep down? But truthfully did it even matter? All he needed was for Brian to care. He just needed Brian to play the hero.

“-I need you to be here because I don’t plan on killing Mr Sinclair. I plan on killing you.”   
  



	2. Brian is attacked & his recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think Needles and Spike were originally Pack members, and there was going to be a lot more stuff about Brian's attack on them being something the gang couldn't overlook. This was all written before Soren was part of the story, and it ended up being cut out because I felt it would detract from him being the main villain, but originally the pack were the villains of the story. Obviously I changed my mind before fleshing this out fully, so it's a bit gappy!
> 
> Contains: Violence, injuries, sadness and also fluff to make it all better.

Brian was hardy, he could take a lot of punishment so when the first blow came, he shook it off. Full of rage, he lunged forward toward his attacker who he took off guard, unbalancing him and knocking him to the floor. Swiftly Brian pulled his knife from his boot. The metal flashed and blood spilled. Brian's face lit up at the scream of pain which came soon after. 

Before he could make another cut, Brian felt himself pulled away. He kicked his legs and thrashed about but he was held firmly. A swift knee to his stomach winded him, and his movements slowed as he tried to catch his breath.

“Get the knife off him!” a voice commanded. 

Brian's fingers were pried apart, his weapon removed. Through slitted, angry eyes he looked about at those who had attacked him and now held him hostage. 

“Four against one? That ain't fair,” Brian sneered. The hands which held him did not loosen whatsoever, but he was not afraid. If this had been the operators, or even worse, the disciples, then he would have been worried for his life. The people who had him were all dressed in the ridiculous garb that indicated their gang affiliation was with the pack, and Brian was not afraid of the pack. No one was.

They looked pleased to have caught him, even the one who was bleeding heavily.

“We've been watching you, Bloodmouth,” one of the pack spoke, their face hidden behind a crude mask representing a feline of some sort. 

Brian remained quiet, curious more than anything as to where this was going. His arms, held in a vice-like grip, were twisted painfully behind his back until he hissed, then he was shoved along, half dragged and stumbling to keep up with his captors. 

The pack member in the feline mask - _ Catface _ , Brian decided- prowled along by Brian’s side. 

“You think you’re so secret but you ain’t. We know where you go and what you do,” Catface sneered.

Brian glanced toward the masked person, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second, but it was long enough to betray the fear that suddenly chilled him. 

Beneath the mask, Catface grinned victoriously. “Scared, Bloodmouth?” 

“Like fuck I am,” Brian snapped, but his words lacked the confidence they had possessed earlier. He needed to know what the pack knew and why they were suddenly taking such affront to his actions. His heart hammered beneath his ribs as his brain jumped to the conclusion that they knew about RedEye, although how that affected them, he did not know. He didn’t know enough about the pack and their beliefs to know whether or not his relationship alone was cause for this sudden attack.

“You should be.”

\--

Dragged into the amphitheater, dubbed The Zoo, and home of the pack, Brian winced at the strong smell of animals. Mongrels were everywhere, prowling amongst the decrepit seating. Cages containing beasts and in some cases, people, surrounded a fighting pit in the very centre of what had once been a stage. The small offshoot of the gang who had captured Brian skirted around the centre of The Zoo, dragging him to a secluded area at the end of a hallway branching off from the main stage. 

“What shall we do with him?” 

“Toss him in the cage for now,” Catface decided. “Not like we’re in a rush, ain’t that right Bloodmouth? We got all the time in the world.”

\--

There was no use trying to escape his cage; Brian had examined every inch of it, hunting for a weakness, but he had no luck. There were four pack members who always stayed around the cage, even sleeping nearby, and Brian came to the conclusion that these were their quarters. He watched them all carefully, even assigning names to them all. Catface of course was there, but they were joined by Antlers, in a deer mask, Crow, in what Brian guessed was meant to be some kind of bird mask, and finally Horns who wore a horned helmet and a colourful feathered face mask. Brian figured that Catface was the leader of the little group since the others seemed to listen to the feline-masked person.

-

His eyes were swollen shut and being unable to see threw Brian into a terrifying new world. He knew that they were laughing at him: his ears still worked well enough, but he was totally disoriented and unable to defend himself. 

The Pack did not want him dead, that much was clear. They’d had ample opportunity but still they would stop, leave him alone, and resume when he had rested. Not that Brian could call anything he had done over the past few days restful. When he was alone, he sought for ways to escape with increasing desperation. 

Brian tried to force his eyes open as he backed into a corner. His head felt wet and sticky from a bloody wound on his temple. How could he fight what he couldn’t see? 

-

When the days had lengthened into weeks and despair was snapping at his heels, salvation came. Not in the form of a hero: there was no one to rescue him, no one but Brian himself could break him free from the clutches of his torturers. He guessed that they had grown careless, that they had beaten him enough to consider him less likely to be a threat. Assumed he was too weak to escape, but they underestimated the tenacity possessed by Brian Sinclair.

His cage had been left unlocked. The entire gang were in the centre of The Zoo, whooping and hollering in excitement at a battle which raged there. Roars, both animal and man cut through the crowd’s cheers. Brian didn’t care what was happening; he solely cared that he had an opportunity to get free and he seized it.

He was terrified in a way he had never before felt, almost to the point of freezing. He took a steadying breath as he slid open the cage door, expecting at any second for someone to return. Every second that passed, Brian knew was a wasted second, so with painful footsteps he crept toward the exit. In his mind he offered silent prayers to whichever deity had blessed him with luck in the past, begged them to grant him just this one stroke of good fortune and let him escape. His gauss rifle was gone, his precious coat ragged and torn, stained with his blood. His clothes were beyond repair, hanging in tatters from his skinny, bloodstained and wounded body. 

When Brian reached the door that led to the exterior where all the pack would be, he hesitated to gather his thoughts and his nerve. He could be effectively throwing himself into the lion’s den, and he was forced to summon every ounce of courage before he pushed the door open a crack.

The smell hit him first, overpowering and cloying. Blood and animal filth hanging in the air, ever present. Brian gagged. He could see that the gang were all fixated on something in the centre of their arena, so he gingerly slipped out of the door. A space of several metres lay between Brian and the gate, and freedom. Would it be better to bolt or creep to it? He chose the latter. 

Moving slowly, Brian kept his eyes firmly fixed on the gate. He daren’t look behind where the gang were distracted; all it would take would be for one of them to notice him and he was a goner. In his entire life he didn’t think time had ever passed so slowly, nor had his heart beat so loudly in his ears. Fear and adrenaline raged through his body, spurring him on until he felt his hand against the wood. He didn’t look back, he didn’t dare to. He pulled the gate open a slight crack and through this he slipped. 

He was free.

That was when he ran. What little strength he had left he forced into his legs, bolting with all the gracelessness of a newborn animal, practically throwing himself from foot to foot, staggering and stumbling. He did not stop until he was home, at the radio building with its hidden entrance in a back alley.

Climbing the stairs felt like climbing a mountain, and when he finally got to the top his legs felt so weak and wobbly that they gave way beneath him. In a crumpled pile at the top of the stairs, Brian closed his blackened eyes and breathed deeply. He had been through so much. He just wanted to rest. 

How long he stayed in one spot, he had no idea but he was woken by footsteps. Brian lifted his head, blinking painfully before he remembered where he was. He was home and only one other person lived there. All Brian had to do was wait and he would be found.

“Brian!” RedEye’s voice sounded panicked and relieved all at the same time. Brian did not know for sure how long he had been away. “Shit, what the hell happened to you?” 

“Hey,” Brian croaked. RedEye had crouched down beside him, looking worried so Brian reached out a hand to touch him. He intended to be comforting but all he could do was brush his fingers against the other man's leg before dropping his hand to the floor with a thump. Dried blood stained his fingers, his nails torn and splintered, ripped down to the quick in some cases. A hand reached out to brush Brian's hair from his face but he flinched at even the gentle contact, a bolt of pain spiking through his face. 

“Can you help me to bed?” Brian breathed, his eyes sliding shut and his breathing heavy. He went to push himself up to his feet.

“Stay still,” RedEye instructed. Brian's eyes opened slightly as the world lurched around him. He was lifted from the floor, carried with ease and soon placed gently on the bed. 

The mattress sagged as RedEye sat by Brian's side. Brian shivered although the room was not cold, he tugged his coat tighter around himself. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed, the thin strings holding him together snapped and he pulled his coat over his face as he felt hot tears stream down his bloody, battered face. 

RedEye's hand stroked over Brian's side. Quietly he let Brian get out his tears, his mind racing as he wondered what had happened. Brian had completely disappeared from his radar and days had passed. He knew that when someone went missing in Nuka World it meant that they were dead, but Brian had a will to live that exceeded your average raider. Something horrible however had happened to Brian, for he had never been so broken. 

Eventually Brian unfurled himself, his raw eyes turned to RedEye. “Thank you,” he muttered.

“Want to tell me what happened? I've been worried about you, disappearing like that...showing up like this.”

Brian drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “Maybe later? I just want to sleep. Will you stay with me? I really don't wanna be alone.”

“Yeah...yeah sure. Come here.” RedEye swung his legs onto the bed and lay down. Brian shuffled close, and he wrapped his arm around him. “Damn, you're shaking so bad.”

Brian nodded weakly. Every time he exhaled, he shook, his breath coming out stuttering and staggered. RedEye’s arm around him was a small comfort, so he pressed himself into its warmth. He was safe, he reminded himself over and over. He was safe and he was free.

-

The night passed in a dreamless sleep which extended into the early afternoon. Brian finally awoke to find that for the first time in days he was warm, a familiar arm wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Oh thank fuck. I've laid here watching you all night, I was so worried you were gonna die.”

Brian looked up to find RedEye looking down at him with his face a mix of concern and relief. “I feel like shit,” he muttered, “but I think I'm gonna live.”

“You better.” RedEye glanced down at Brian, “you want some Med-X?”

“Yes,” Brian nodded without hesitation. Anything to take the edge off. 

RedEye rolled over to reach beneath the bed where a sturdy box contained a stash of chems, usually reserved for happier occasions. He rummaged through the box and withdrew a syringe before rolling back over to face Brian. 

Brian weakly extended his arm, pushing back the long sleeve of his coat. He noticed, although he said nothing, that his bracers were gone and his sleeves flapped uselessly. “You do it.”

With a nod, RedEye took hold of Brian's wrist, turning his arm so the prominent veins on the inside were visible. Brian had arms practically designed for intravenous chem use so it was never difficult to find a vein. Carefully RedEye slid the needle in, drawing a slight amount of blood out before pressing down and injecting the contents of the syringe. 

Brian's eyes flickered shut as the chem washed over him, smoothing the sharp edges of his pain. He watched as the needle slid from his arm, a trickle of blood following it and adding just another wound to his body.

“It was The Pack who caught me,” Brian found himself saying. “They must have had this shit planned because they're fucking idiots usually. Outnumbered me. Motherfuckers.” The chems loosened his tongue, made it easier to speak about what had happened. 

“Took me back to their fuckin’ furry wonderland. Man, I know I took a few of them down or at least gave ‘em scars to remember me by but there's so damn many of them. They…” Brian hesitated, even with the chems swimming in his blood, he found it difficult to continue his story. Found it difficult to tell anyone what had happened and what they had done to him. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, “they tortured me for days, I don’t even know how long I was gone. Was I gone a long time?”

RedEye nodded, but allowed Brian to continue his story. His eyes however iced over with anger that had begun crackling beneath the surface. Throughout the night he had been preoccupied, worrying that Brian wouldn’t make it to morning, but now he could take a good look at him. One of Brian’s hands was wrapped in a bloody rag, bound about his fingers like a mitten. He recognised it as part of Brian’s tank top, torn off to serve as a makeshift bandage.

Brian caught RedEye looking, and so he slowly and painfully lifted his hand. He carefully unwrapped his bandage and let it fall onto the bed. 

“They took my finger,” Brian said in a hushed voice, sounding almost embarrassed about it.

In horror, RedEye stared at the mutilated hand. A ragged stump was all that remained of the little finger, crusty blood surrounding the wound. 

“I tried to keep it clean,” Brian muttered. He lapsed into silence, staring at his own hand with sadness, horror and shame.

“I'll fucking kill them all,” RedEye spat. 

Brian's snapped to attention at the interruption. The eyes that stared back at him were icy cold, an intense anger raging behind them which caused Brian to catch his breath. He had never seen such anger on the face he was so familiar with. Brian exhaled, suddenly aware that he had been holding his breath. This was the kind of reaction he didn't want. “You'll get yourself killed,” he insisted. “Look what they did to me.”

“That's the point! They can't get away with this. They’re goddamn animals who need to be put down--”

“Please don't do anything stupid,” Brian pleaded. He was the one who did stupid things, and it didn't feel good to watch someone else about to make that decision. “Stay here with me, I need you more than I need revenge...for now.”

RedEye softened slightly although the anger still smoldered inside him. He turned to look Brian over, knowing where his injuries came from made everything worse and suddenly he realised that he could only see what wasn't hidden beneath Brian's clothes. Who knew what the true extent of the damage was. 

“I think a bath would do you good, you're totally filthy.”

Brian closed his eyes, “maybe later.”

“No, come on. You'll feel better. I'm not gonna drown you or nothing.”

“Fine,” Brian muttered. He didn't want to argue. He didn't want to do anything. He didn't even protest when he felt his precious coat pulled away from him, albeit with some difficulty. 

Once Brian's coat was set aside, a whole new series of injuries were exposed. Scratches and bruises covered his back, his shoulders and his arms, showing on the skin uncovered by his ragged tank top. Even that was shredded as if clawed to bits and it seemed beyond saving as RedEye pulled it off. Beneath his clothes, Brian was a mess. None of his wounds looked life threatening but they were too numerous to count. Here and there slight smears of paint were mixed in alongside the blood, and animal-like scratches crisscrossed Brian's pale skin. 

“Can you walk?”

“Probably.”

Brian pushed himself upright so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Weakly he staggered to his feet, his legs didn't feel right but he figured that was the chems more than anything. “You might have to help me out here,” he sighed. 

In an instant Brian felt an arm around his shoulder so in return he snaked his own arm around RedEye's waist, leaning into him for support. “Ok, I can do this.”

Once they were at the outdoor bathtub, Brian kicked off his jeans and stepped into the water. Surprisingly the coolness felt good but he still curled his knees up, wrapping his arms around them. He flinched when the cool water trickled over his back, realising he hadn't even noticed what RedEye was doing. Despite the gentle way his skin was washed, he couldn't release the tension in his shoulders, nor did he want to uncurl from the tight ball he had drawn himself into. 

“I'm not gonna hurt you,” RedEye quietly spoke. He shuffled around so he was within Brian's line of sight, crouching so he could fold his arms on the rim of the tub.

“Yeah...yeah I know. I just don't think I can relax.”

“Can you give me your hand?”

Cautiously Brian unwrapped one arm from around his knees and extended it to RedEye. It was the arm with his injured hand, and he was tense and ready at any moment to pull back. He watched as the cool water was stroked onto his skin, wiping away blood and dirt. Gradually he began to look more like himself. He willingly volunteered his second arm. 

In silence RedEye continued washing the blood and dirt from Brian's body, quietly seething that this had been allowed to happen. This was not the Brian he knew and loved, he had never seen him so withdrawn and scared. Beneath his hands, Brian gradually unfurled until he was sitting normally, the bloodied, dirty water sloshing around him. 

“You still love me, right?” Brian muttered.

“What? Brian don't be stupid, what kind of question is that. Of course I do.”

Brian lifted his head to look RedEye in the eyes. “I feel like such a failure. I couldn't fight them off. I lost. I lost to the worst gang in this stupid park.”

“You lived.”

“I guess.” Brian sighed and shuffled, pushing RedEye's hands away. “I'll wash the rest of myself. Just...go. I wanna be alone.”

“Are you sure?” When Brian nodded, RedEye pushed himself to his feet. He bent over to gently kiss Brian’s forehead, his heart sinking as he felt Brian flinch away from him, his shoulders visibly tensing. 

Brian waited until RedEye had padded back indoors. He carefully slid his hands over his legs, the damage to them wasn't so bad, only scratches. The higher he moved his hands the more cautious he became. Lines of scabs crisscrossed his body, wounds from knives, claws and whatever else he had been on the receiving end of. He didn’t want to open any of them again. More than anything else, Brian didn't want RedEye to see the full extent of his injuries and have him go off on some stupid revenge quest that was sure to get him killed.

-

Brian padded back indoors on bare feet that allowed him to sneak silently. No one was around, so he passed straight through the bedroom into the corridor and down to the bathroom. He guessed RedEye had returned to his studio, so he wasn’t likely to be disturbed. 

In the bathroom, Brian paused to look at himself in the cracked mirror. He twisted his face at the sight of his bedraggled hair and bruised face. Bitterly he stared at every bruise and cut, at the whites of his eyes which were dark and bloody. He was a mess, and he hated it. Hated the way he couldn’t even do anything about it but wait for the wounds to heal. His hair felt greasy and gritty, an agitation that added to his frustration.

Brian’s eyes were drawn to the edge of the washbasin where a razor lay. He glanced back up at the mirror, turning his head from side to side to look at his sideburns. He pursed his lips and pushed his hair back, raising his eyebrows. Tentatively he picked up the razor and drew a deep breath.

\--

Since RedEye wasn't around, Brian decided to lie down on the bed. He curled on his side and turned on the radio, tuning it past RedEye's chatter and to the classical music station. Allowing the relaxing music to fill the room, he closed his eyes and tried to think pleasant, calming thoughts.

Hours passed during which Brian drifted in and out of sleep until the sky outside turned dark. 

“Hey, are you awake?” 

Brian lifted his head up to see RedEye. “Yeah,” he nodded.

“Did you change the station? What is this shit? Anyway, I-- what the hell?!” 

Brian ran a hand over his head, following RedEye’s line of sight he was quite surprised when his hand didn’t touch hair as it usually did. He’d completely forgotten, although maybe the Med-X had helped, that he had cut all his hair off. 

“I cut my hair.”

“I can see that!” RedEye eyed Brian as if he was about to have some kind of breakdown, but Brian simply stared back with an indecipherable expression. “Shit, man, are you alright?”

“It’s just hair,” Brian shrugged.

RedEye turned the music down before sitting alongside Brian on the bed, warily looking at him. “I brought you some food.”

“Heh, thanks.” Brian took the plate of food, immediately identifying it as meat he had hunted himself. Brahmin by the looks of it. Gingerly he nibbled at it.

“That new overboss has been busy talking with the gang leaders, I don't know what his game is but something is about to go down,” RedEye reported in an effort to fill the silence, although Brian didn’t seem particularly interested. He reclined on the bed, watching Brian eat, although his eyes were constantly drawn to his unfamiliar shaven head. 

Perhaps a change of topic would stir some interest in Brian. “I got real worried you were never coming back y’know. Missing person equals dead person around here usually.”

Brian chewed on a lump of brahmin but pushed the plate aside, leaving the rest untouched. He wasn't sure what to say but RedEye filled the silence.

“I'll find a way to make them pay,” he snarled. “Mason and his boys won't know what hit ‘em.”

With care Brian rolled onto his side to face RedEye. “I want them all dead but I don't want you to do anything stupid.”

“It wouldn't be stupi--”

“ _ Russell _ . Taking on all those animal fuckers alone is not a good idea and I can't even stand the thought of losing you let alone it actually happening. Just promise me you won't go marching in all guns blazing and getting yourself killed.”

RedEye bristled in agitation but he knew the severity that came with using his real name, something he had specifically asked Brian never to do. 

“Alright,” RedEye reluctantly agreed. “But this isn't over. Look what they did to you, I ain't gonna sit back and allow that. You're mine.”

“No one knows that.”

RedEye exhaled with a huff. He couldn't deny that their entire relationship was kept very quiet and he had never mentioned it to anyone. He wasn't sure he wanted that to change.

“Can I touch you?” he asked, raising a hesitant hand. 

Brian nodded, figuring that the time for talking was over. He hoped RedEye had at least paid some attention to what he had said. 

“Come here.” 

Brian felt himself pulled closer with gentle hands until he was cradled in RedEye's arms. Rough fingertips stroked over his scratches and cuts with a featherlight touch, tracing the path of each one. 

“You'll get better.”

“I hope so. I just...I feel so flat, does that make sense?” Brian stroked a hand over his head and sighed, “nothing feels right.”

RedEye hesitated, unsure about what to say; like nearly all raiders, comforting words did not come easily to him. He stroked his fingers over the stubble of Brian's head, “man, I don't know what you mean but that ain't how you should be feeling.” He shuffled so he could look Brian in the face, and Brian looked back with large, trusting eyes that betrayed how sad and broken he felt. “We’re gonna be okay. You're a raider, man. You're Bloodmouth. You're tough as shit and you're gonna get better...then we'll get revenge.”

Brian weakly smiled, pressing his forehead into the skin of RedEye's chest. “Alright,” he nodded placidly.

\--

The days passed, turning into weeks, and Brian’s wounds healed, his bruises faded and his cuts turned to scabs that he picked off. He began to almost resemble his old self, his sense of humour gradually returning and his boisterous attitude showed itself once more. He had barely left the safety of the radio building however, seemingly determined to lie as low as possible while he healed. 

RedEye was becoming impatient with Brian's insistence on hiding away. Every single day he returned from his studio to find Brian in the bedroom doing some kind of idle, time wasting task. Today he was sharpening a series of knives, laying them out in a silvery line on the sheets.

“Well they're about as sharp as they're gonna get.” Brian looked up to see RedEye leaning in the doorframe. The radio host indicated the knives. “You've sharpened them three times this week and you're not using them on anything.”

Brian set down his knife and pressed his lips into a thin line. He knew there was truth in RedEye's words. “Yeah...yeah you're right.”

“When are you gonna go out? Tear some shit up? Be the fireball I remember?”

Brian groaned. He knew he couldn't hide away forever and he had pushed it about as far as possible. He shoved his knives off the bed with a clatter and reclined. “I'm getting to it.”

RedEye strode over and sat with a thump on the bed. In one fluid movement he reached out and dragged Brian over. With his hand still firmly around Brian's waist he stared down at him. 

“What?” Brian asked.

RedEye held Brian’s gaze until it teetered on the edge of being uncomfortable, and then twisted, swinging his leg over Brian so he was straddling him. 

“Brian, you've got to snap out of this. You've been hiding for way too long, this ain't you.” With a gentle hand, RedEye slid his fingers over the remnants of the injuries. “I want things to be like they were.”

“They'll never be like they were--”

RedEye cut him off. “But we can make things better. Come on Bri, let me make things better.” He lowered his head to gently kiss the exposed skin at the base of Brian's neck. 

Brian nibbled his bottom lip, cautiously he slid his hands up RedEye's arms, spreading his fingers to trace over well defined muscle until he reached his shoulders. 

“Kiss me,” Brian whispered. Immediately he felt a hand beneath his chin that tilted his head back. Lips met his own, soft and slow, but desire smouldering just beneath the gentleness. 

RedEye broke away first, moving his head to the side slightly. “Do you know how long it's been since we did this?” he breathed.

“Yeah…” Brian met RedEye's eyes guiltily. “I don't know...ugh, don't hurt me.” 

“I'm not gonna hurt you,” RedEye scoffed as if the very suggestion was ridiculous. To emphasise his point, RedEye rolled his hips, pressing against Brian. He gently placed a string of kisses along Brian's jawline. “You won't believe how gentle I'll be.”

Brian breathed a thoughtful sigh. He was enjoying the attention, and he realised how much he had missed it. Slowly he reached up to slide his fingers through RedEye’s hair. “You’ve never been gentle in your life,” he smiled jokingly.

“I can be. I’m being gentle now.” 

RedEye reached up to take Brian’s hands, pulling them from behind his head and tangling their fingers together. The fact that Brian was missing a finger barely seemed to faze him.

He rolled onto his side, pulling Brian with him so they were lying facing one another. “We got all the time in the world, I ain’t gonna rush you...in fact, you go ahead and call the shots. We’ll do what you wanna do.”

In response, Brian pressed himself closer. The words and the kindness were overwhelming and unexpected even after all the time they had been together. “I love you so, so much,” he whispered, pressing their lips together. For a while he became lost in their kiss; it had been far too long and he had built up far too many walls to protect himself. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to break them down. Maybe things could go back to the way they were.

“Will you do something for me?” Brian asked, his voice a whisper and his lips only moved away slightly from the ones he had been kissing. “Will you sing? Y'know, my song?”

“Alright.” 

Some time had passed since Brian had last heard the song that had been written for him; it seemed an eternity ago that he had lain on this very bed, peaceful and happy and listening. He closed his eyes as his partner began quietly singing. The song sounded different without an instrument to accompany it but Brian still found it made him feel happy and secure. Above all else he felt safe and loved, something he desperately needed.

As RedEye sang, Brian became aware of the hands that were wrapped around him lightly tapping at his skin in a curious way. He opened his eyes a crack, tilting his head slightly to watch fingers that moved across his pale skin, trying to make some sense of what RedEye was doing. 

As the song drew to a close, and the fingers stilled, Brian raised his head to meet RedEye’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but RedEye cut him off, speaking in a hushed voice. 

“Just habit.” RedEye shrugged lightly, a slight smile tickling the corners of his mouth.

Brian looked utterly confused, so RedEye took his arm, gently extending it and wrapping his fingers around it with ease. His fingers curled, some extended straight and some bent, their tips pressing softly against Brian’s skin. “B major...my favourite chord. The one my fingers fit best,” he proclaimed with a slight smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth. His hand slid the length of Brian’s arm, curling into a range of different chords that he named in a low voice until his fingers reached the tattoo upon Brian’s chest and he fell silent.

“Can we stay like this?” Brian asked. “It’s not that I don’t wanna do anything else but I just...I feel really happy right now.”

“Sure.” RedEye's fingers followed the line of Brian's tattoo, tracing the shape of the claws that were etched into his skin, and the scars that cut raggedly through the ink. He let the air out of his lungs in a slow exhale, shuffling to make himself more comfortable. The skinny raider in his arms pressed himself close so they touched in as many places as possible. 

“You’ve gotta get out of this building,” RedEye insisted, although his voice was low, not nagging but enough to make Brian feel guilty. “It ain’t good for you to sit around all day.”

“I know.” Brian was quiet, his fingers flexed back and forth across the skin of RedEye’s chest and he sighed deeply. 

“Listen--” RedEye shuffled so he could look into Brian’s eyes, “you should come out with me and some of the guys, just do normal shit. No hunting or raiding, just drink a few beers, eat some food...y’know, normal shit.”

So much time had passed since Brian had done anything he would define as normal that the very words coming from RedEye’s mouth seemed entirely alien. He had to pause, to collect his thoughts and process what had been said before answering. “Do we do that kind of thing around here?”

“Sure. Man, if it gets you out of here I’ll do the most mundane shit you can think of.”


	3. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unfinished (and unrelated to the main plot) drabble written for Valentine's Day 2018. I'm sure you can use your imagination for the ending.

It was quarter to twelve on the fourteenth of February. Fifteen minutes of Valentine’s Day remained and RedEye was nowhere to be seen. 

Brian guessed that maybe the day had lost its meaning somewhere along the line. Perhaps people no longer sent cards and flowers and chocolates, but he had been telling RedEye about it. RedEye knew the day existed and he was nowhere to be seen. Brian was not pleased.

Across from him lay a gift that he had scraped together. Chocolate no longer existed, but he knew which things RedEye liked to eat and he had collected them up. He had made a simple card to the best of his creative skills, and where was his stupid boyfriend?

Nowhere to be seen.

Brian rolled onto his back and guessed that the last few minutes of the day would be spent alone. He let his head rest in the soft pillows and his eyes became unfocused as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Then it was dark.

“What the fuck,” Brian growled. 

There was only one electric source of light in the bedroom and that came from a string of bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A fire still crackled in a mesh barrel, giving the room a murky light but Brian, colourblind, found it difficult to pick out much detail in the similar shades of grey that the firelight produced.

A sound alerted him. A shuffling footstep. He bolted upright, immediately defensive.

“It’s me,” RedEye’s familiar voice came out of the gloom.

Brian relaxed. “Did the bulbs blow out?”

More footsteps scuffed over the dirty floor until Brian could feel that RedEye was close to him. A small flame sparked into life and RedEye leaned over to light some of the candles which were placed haphazardly around the room. 

“Nah, I turned ‘em out.”

“Why?”

“I got you a present and I want it to be a surprise.”

In the flickering, dim light RedEye stood in front of Brian. He reached down to take hold of his hands, and Brian allowed it. His anger had ebbed and had been replaced with curiosity. His hands were pulled close to RedEye’s body until his palms lay flat against his chest. 

Brian tilted his head. He had expected to feel the grimy, scruffy tank top that RedEye most often wore but no, something different was beneath his fingertips. Different yet oddly familiar. Brian let his hands -free of RedEye’s grasp- trace softly across the fabric as he tried to identify it. 

“What is this?” Brian questioned with a lightness in his voice. 

His fingertips slid across a ridge and the texture of the fabric changed. He moved upward until he reached the centre of RedEye’s collarbone. A lump of fabric. Excitedly Brian’s hands slid higher, either side of RedEye’s neck, circled by a ring of fabric.

“Are you wearing a suit?” 

Brian’s voice was hushed but his excitement was obvious. He bit his lip hopefully as he reached around to touch the knot of fabric in the centre of RedEye’s collar. He slid both hands down the length of his tie, wistful and lost in imaginings until he tightened his grip and pulled.

“Turn the light on! I need to see you.”

“Haha no way, man. I feel dumb as hell.”

“Baby,” Brian whined, “please. I want to see my present before I unwrap it.”

RedEye chuckled as Brian tugged at his tie. He decided to humour him by lighting a few more candles, bringing the level of light up and revealing a better image of his outfit.

“You don’t look dumb, you look hot as fuck,” Brian moaned. He licked his lips, lowered his voice and pulled RedEye closer. “I need you to keep this on-”

“I was gonna take the tie off and tie you up with it.”


	4. Sick (end.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this here mainly so I can link it to tumblr and be horrid to everyone who likes Brian.  
> This is sad and features character death, but if it softens the blow at all, it's not canon!

Brian was exhausted, his breathing rapid and fretful. He paused and leaned heavily against the concrete ruins of some unidentifiable pre-war structure, suddenly overwhelmed by a need to cough. 

Something was wrong with him and he couldn’t ignore it any longer. A glance down at his hands revealed that a tremor ran through them. He clenched his fists in an attempt to stop the shaking, not that it did any good - he was weak and tired. 

It took every ounce of energy Brian could summon to drag himself home. Empty handed he crawled the stairs to the studio and shuffled along the hallway to the bedroom. Maybe he just needed rest, he thought as he flopped onto the bed, a cough erupting from his lungs at the impact.

“Bri?”

Brian’s eyes weakly opened at the sound of RedEye’s voice - he must have fallen asleep. He rolled over and smiled, his hand brushing RedEye’s thigh.

“Hi.”

In silence RedEye ran his fingers through Brian’s hair, brushing it off his face. In an unexpected movement he pulled Brian’s head onto his lap and continued to stroke at him.

“Bri...are you...okay?”

“I’m fine,” Brian replied with a light cough. He dabbed at his mouth, at the familiar taste of blood...except he didn’t remember biting anyone. 

RedEye used the pad of his thumb to swipe the blood away.

“Are you sure?”

Brian closed his eyes. “I’m tired.”

“Tired,” RedEye repeated. “You look like hell. Bri, I’m gettin’ worried.”

“I just need to rest.”

-

Weakly Brian opened his eyes and immediately his gaze was drawn down his arm to his hand. He could see his bones clearly, the skin stretched across them looked paper thin. He heaved a deep breath and in an instant he felt fingers wrap around his hand.

“Hey,” Brian rasped.

“Hey, Bri.”

The stark contrast of RedEye’s healthy hand wrapped around Brian’s skeletal fingers was jarring. Weakly Brian flexed his fingers. 

“I’ve had a good run y’know,” Brian began, forcing a lightness into his voice. “Not many people live over two hundred.”

RedEye smiled bitterly. Looking at him he didn’t think Brian could fight much longer - every day he seemed to deteriorate, his already skinny body was just bones with skin stretched across them. Fiercely he blinked back tears that threatened to spill.

“Don’t you cry on me,” Brian laughed. 

“Shit, sorry-“

“Nah it’s okay.” Brian focused on the ceiling, “I think if his was the other way around I would be a mess. You’re stronger than me. You’re going to be okay.”

“No! No I’m not!” RedEye furiously palmed at his eyes, frustration and despair straining to break free. “How am I meant to do this shit without you? This isn’t fair! Why you?”

“I guess my luck ran out. I...RedE-  _ Russell _ , you’re going to be okay. Trust me. Be okay for me, alright?”

“Shit...I’ll try.”

Carefully RedEye crawled onto the bed to lie by Brian’s side. Gently, as if he would break him, he wrapped his arms around the fragile body of his partner and pulled him close. Softly he pressed his face into the crook of Brian’s neck.

Brian tilted his head in response - his skin felt damp, hot tears trickling onto him but he didn’t wipe them away, that would have been too much energy. Slowly Brian raised his hand to take hold of RedEye’s, his skinny fingers weakly clutching at the hand he was so familiar with. He closed his eyes.

—

Seventeen days had passed. Seventeen of the longest days of RedEye’s life. He had to question if he was sleeping or if he was awake or even if it was day or night - in the windowless radio building it was hard to tell. He found himself by some mechanical motion or force of habit, sitting at his mixing desk, eyes glazed and staring into the middle distance. He didn’t know how long he had been there, when had he last eaten? Slept? Washed? He had no answer to those questions.

So numb and dazed was RedEye that he didn’t notice someone enter the studio. Didn’t notice when heavy boots thudded into place alongside him. The hand that dropped onto his shoulder though, that made him jump in surprise.

“Hello, Red. We meet again.”

RedEye slowly spun his chair to look up in the direction of the familiar gravelly voice. He blinked slowly, focusing on the mean, sneering face of the ghoul whose own eyes widened only briefly in surprise.

“Christ, Red, you look awful. You looked better when I had you captive.” Soren laughed a gritty laugh.

“Yeah…”

RedEye trailed off, his hand reached to brush his jaw and he was genuinely surprised to feel hair. In wonderment he stroked his hand over his face as if amazed by the fact that without shaving, his facial hair had grown wild.

“You uh...trying a new look there, huh?” Soren asked. Suddenly he seemed uneasy, his eyes flitting back and forth to look around the messy studio. “Where’s Brian?”

That caught RedEye’s attention. He raised his head to look Soren directly in the eyes, aware as he did so that his own eyes blurred over with tears. He couldn’t bring himself to say it - it was one word, and he couldn’t say it. Saying it would be admitting it and solidifying it. 

“Red…?”

RedEye shook his head and decided the best thing to do would be to leave. In staggered movements he pushed himself away and shuffled out of the studio. He didn’t know where he was going but his feet led him to his bedroom. 

Cautiously, Soren followed, if nothing else he was curious because something terrible had obviously happened. He followed RedEye into his bedroom, watched the DJ idle around in the centre of the room for some moments before he let his eyes wander and take in the rest of the room. A bed looked unmade, and Soren frowned - Brian would never have left his bed in such a way. 

Soren took a step further into the room - he had to hand it to the pair of raiders, they had made a cosy home for themselves. As he approached RedEye -who had meandered to a corner- Soren became aware that he was looking at something intently.

“He’s gone,” RedEye croaked as he heard Soren get closer.

“As in he left you for someone else?” Soren began with both frustration and smugness lacing his words. “Or-“

His words were stalled when he realised that what RedEye was looking at was Brian’s beloved coat. Folded into a neat square so the furry hood lay on top, RedEye’s fingers brushed back and forth over the fabric. Soren’s heart sank in realisation.

“Shit. Red...I’m sorry.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Soren was unsure about what to do so he slumped onto the bed. He had come to torment them both, to let them know he was still alive and that they were not beyond his reach, but that plan had sharply unravelled and despite everything, he found a sudden wave of sadness hit him.

“How…?”

RedEye turned, shoulders slumped, and looked at Soren as if seeing him for the first time. Somewhere in the tangles of his mind he knew that this ghoul was responsible for so many terrible things, but he didn’t care. 

“He got sick-” RedEye rolled his eyes to look at the ceiling. “The kind of sick you don’t get better from.”

“Jesus.” Soren ran a hand through his hair - he wasn’t sure what to do with himself now. Some ancient habit and quirk of his personality battled to the surface and he found for the first time in so many years a sense of empathy. He couldn’t just walk away although without Brian there was no need for him to care about RedEye.

RedEye on the other hand had found his voice. He took a seat beside Soren as if they had no backstory, as if he didn’t remember or care about what had happened the last time they met. 

“He died.” RedEye began. “He died in my arms, right here where we’re sitting. Shit.” 

RedEye blinked his tears away, pausing while he tried to take command of his vocal chords.

“At least he wasn’t alone,” Soren offered. 

“Yeah...yeah I guess you’re right. I...shit, I loved him so much. I thought we would always be together…”

Soren glanced to RedEye’s hands, laid in his lap. A scarred pattern across the palm of one caught his attention but not so much as the scuffed band of silver around his ring finger. 

“He must have loved you too.” 

Before he was even aware of what he was doing, Soren, acting on some ancient instinct wrapped an arm around the shoulders of his enemy. RedEye seemed too tired to protest and simply let his shoulders drop, perhaps not entirely accepting of the contact but tolerating it.

-

It was with some confusion that RedEye awoke - a blanket was draped over him, his boots lay on the floor by the side of the bed and when he sniffed there was a smell of something cooking. His heart thumped with a spike of groggy-headed adrenaline since surely the only person who would have put him to bed was Brian. With more energy than he had felt in over two weeks, RedEye jumped out of bed and scampered to the kitchen where the source of the smell was coming from.

RedEye felt himself deflate when not Brian but Soren turned to face him as he noisily entered the kitchen. 

“You needed to sleep,” Soren casually began, his gaze turned to poke at something sizzling in a large pan. “I decided to do some cooking.”

“Ah, okay.” RedEye dawdled, unsure about what to do now his hopeful illusion had been shattered. He stepped a little closer, his stomach loudly announcing his hunger. “What are you making?”

“Omelets,” Soren answered. “You didn’t have much that wasn’t rotten. I guess eating hasn’t been high on your priority list recently? Mirelurk eggs never seem to go bad though.”

RedEye nodded as if he was well versed in cooking. In silence he slid into a chair, leaned onto the table and placed his head in his hands. Now he had a good night’s sleep under his belt he was able to think more clearly and the thought which dominated his mind was why this ghoul of all people was cooking breakfast.

“Hey, why’re you being so damn nice to me?” RedEye scratched a hand through his hair thoughtfully. “Last time we met you were a bit of an asshole.”

Soren shrugged and lightly laughed. “Why not?” He scraped the food from the pan and brought it to the table, dropping into the seat opposite RedEye. 

“I don’t really know to be honest,” Soren began. “You seemed so broken and for god knows what reason it triggered something in me. You know, before the war I really cared about people. All people.”

RedEye nodded, his mouth full of food.

“There’s no reason for me to bother you now.” Soren idly divided his omelette up with the edge of his fork. “But I’m curious, what will you do?”

“I dunno,” RedEye shrugged. “Guess I’ll just go back to what I used to do...before.”

 


	5. The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last summer we did a beach episode thing on tumblr, so this is based on that. One of Brian's strengths is swimming.

The sun bleached down from high in the sky but rather than being the inconvenience it usually proved to be, it was for once welcome. Across the stretch of sand, people from all factions and walks of life spread out and for that period of time it was easy to forget that the war had ever happened.

At first they had been suspicious and hostile but a temporary truce had been called and now raiders sat among the do-gooders of the commonwealth, steadily becoming more friendly as time wore on and the drink coolers emptied.

On the shore, RedEye dangled his feet in the water and watched those who were splashing around. By his side a semi-deflated beach ball was wedged between a pile of clothes and a row of bottles. Like most people out that day he had been all too happy to leave most of his clothes behind. He was satisfied with shorts and sunglasses.

A splash drew his attention but not quickly enough and with a yell he jumped back as a plume of water hit him directly in the face. 

“What the hell, man!” 

Shaking the water from his shades, RedEye turned an annoyed glare to where his feet had been, only to see a mischievous pair of eyes glinting back up at him.

“Bri-”

His words were cut short as Brian quickly rose his head out of the water and sent another arc of water from his mouth, once again hitting his target. RedEye scuttled out of range, grabbed the beach ball and launched it swiftly at Brian’s head. 

Brian ducked below the water leaving nothing but the ball floating where his head had been. He was having a great time, and when he emerged again he laughed in simple delight.

“Come in, you big baby!”

“I’m watching our stuff. Lots of thieves around here. You wanna get your clothes stolen while you act like a mirelurk?”

“Pfft, no one is going to steal our clothes. Come in and cool down.”

Brian swam in a tight, neat circle and RedEye narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. Obviously Brian was a strong swimmer.

“No,” he petulantly responded.

“Oh, you’re such a sourpuss.” 

Brian splashed closer to the shore, dithered for a moment and then stepped out of the water. He wobbled over on the uneven sand before sinking down into it by RedEye’s side. Thirstily he chugged down one of their bottles of Nuka Cola. 

“Wanna go throw the ball at people again?”

“It’s in the sea.”

Brian glanced up and sure enough their ball was bobbing on the waves. He watched for a moment before deciding he could get it back when he wanted to. 

“Want to come to a secret cave with me?” 

“You don’t know any secret caves.”

“Yes I do,” Brian protested. He wedged his bottle into the sand and leaned closer. “I know a good secret cave where it would just be you and me.”

“Yeah? And how do we get there?”

Brian motioned out across the waves toward an outcrop of rock. 

“We just have to swim out there an-“

“No.”

“No?” Brian raised an eyebrow, “wait, are you scared of the water?”

“Nope. Yeah sure it’s full of mirelurks and radiation but other than that it’s just peachy. I ain’t going in.”

Brian picked up a handful of sand which he held for a moment before casually reaching over and sprinkling it across RedEye’s bare skin.

Instantly the sand stuck to his clammy, sweaty skin and despite how much he rubbed, it would not come off. The sand simply moved about, itching and irritating. 

“Why the hell did you do that?” RedEye scolded. The more he brushed, the more sand he seemed to get stuck to himself. 

“You have to wash it off now,” Brian beamed victoriously.

“Goddamnit, Brian. You’re a real pain in the ass.” 

Defeated, RedEye flopped his hands to the side and stared at the sea. He guessed that he could quickly dip into it and then come out again. 

Brian had other ideas. As soon as RedEye made towards the shoreline, Brian was bounding after him like an excited puppy. He jumped into the water and walked out until it was up to his middle. Turning, he held his hands out.

“Come on!”

If the water was up to Brian’s waist, RedEye deduced that it was probably just above his own knees so he cautiously waded out. 

“See? Not so bad! Can’t even feel those rads, huh?”

RedEye frowned but Brian grabbed his hands and pulled him so he was more submerged. He had to admit that it was cool.

“Now you’re in, we can go to the cave,” Brian grinned, his eyes glinting with promise and excitement. “No one will miss us here for a while.”

“Bri, no.”

“No? What’s wrong with you?”

“I…” RedEye paused and glanced around. “Why don’t we just stay here?”

“Don’t you want to go spelunking?” Brian decided to try a different tactic so beneath the waterline he ran his fingers over the skin exposed at the base of RedEye’s shorts.

“What’s that?” RedEye swallowed. At least the cold water was doing a good job at fighting back against Brian’s advances.

“Exploring holes in the dark.”

Despite himself RedEye laughed and Brian waded closer. Affectionately he rose a hand to wash away some of the remaining sand.

“Give me a good reason why you’re being so weird and I’ll leave you alone.”

“I can’t swim.”

Brian blinked several times. “I...oh. Oh. That make sense I guess.” He softened, “why didn’t you just say so before?”

RedEye proudly shrugged and turned his head to the side, feigning interest in some other people who were splashing about some distance away.

“Hey,” Brian said softly to draw RedEye’s attention back to him, “I can teach you?”

“What if I don’t wanna?”

“Then that’s up to you. But I promise the reward at the end will be good. Anyway, what happens if you fall in the water? I don’t want you to drown.” Since the water they were in was still shallow, Brian took a step backwards, feeling the sand shift beneath his feet. He softly tugged RedEye in the hope that he would follow. “It’s not deep, it’s just pretty much walking through water,” he offered.

After some hesitation, RedEye took a step forward. It wasn’t so bad, he decided, but further out where the water looked darker and deeper made him feel nervous. 

-

RedEye was drenched and breathing hard by the time they reached the cave Brian had mentioned. Shaking, he dragged himself onto the rocks, pleased to finally be on solid ground.

“You swam!” Brian beamed as he hauled himself out of the sea.

“Not well,” RedEye wheezed. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the roof of the cave.

Brian shuffled over and pulled RedEye’s head into his lap. Softly his fingers brushed through soaking hair, shaking free droplets of water. 

“I’m proud of you.”

“We better be staying here a while cos I don’t wanna do that again any time soon.”

“We are! Get up and I’ll show you around my secret cave.”

After a moment of hesitation RedEye staggered to his feet. He had to stoop slightly on account of the low ceiling, but a curious source of light flickered at the back of the cave, drawing his attention.

“Come with me,” Brian smiled, his bare feet pattering across the rocky floor. He was able to walk easily in the low space. 

Deep in the back of the cave the floor plateaued out and in that space a fire flickered in an enamel bucket. 

“I’ve made a den,” Brian laughed. He gestured around himself to show a bedroll spread out and an assortment of collected things.

“Did you do this all in a day?” RedEye asked while eyeing some netting hanging from the rocky walls.

“Would you believe me if I said yes?” Brian laughed and sat down on the bedroll. “I found it this way, I just lit the fire. No one has been here in a long time though. I guess whoever lived here went out one day and never came back, so now it’s mine.”

RedEye poked around some of the containers and small cupboards belonging to the previous owner, greedily hoping for some good leftovers. Brian settled on the bedroll nearby to watch.

“I found Vim,” RedEye announced as he turned to Brian with a bottle in his hand. “Whatever that is.”

“Vim? Pass it here.”

“No way. I found it. I get first dibs.”

RedEye twisted the cap off the ancient bottle to a weak hiss as what was left of the carbonation escaped. He lifted it to his lips and chugged.

“Hey! Don’t drink it all!” 

Brian leapt to his feet and swiftly swiped the bottle from RedEye, immediately taking a huge mouthful, which he spat out almost as quickly.

“Ugh! What the fuck is this? It’s gone bad!”

“I like it.” RedEye claimed the bottle back from Brian and took another mouthful. 

“No, that’s disgusting.”

RedEye laughed, “I guess I finally found something you won’t put in your mouth!”

“If you think I’m going to kiss you when you taste of that, you have another thing coming.”

Indignantly RedEye continued to drink from the bottle of Vim before setting it carefully aside. He pulled Brian crushingly close and pushed their lips together to a muffled protest. Brian’s hands swatted at him and he wriggled furiously like a trapped animal, repulsed by the herbal taste that lingered on RedEye’s lips and tongue. 

Brian, deciding this wouldn’t do, swiftly nipped RedEye’s bottom lip between his teeth, causing him to recoil, mostly in surprise.

“Don’t kiss me with Vim lips!” Brian warned.

RedEye retained his grasp on Brian who made little attempt to escape now he was away from the nasty taste. 

“Don’t bite me!”

 


End file.
